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Women in Film

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Women in Film

Sandra Bullock, Kathryn Bigelow, Meryl Streep. 2009 was an extraordinary year for women in Hollywood, but insiders are warning not to get too carried away with all the hype.

01.12.10 3:51 PM ET

Phil McCarten / Landov

Sandra Bullcok

Movies:
The Proposal and
The Blind Side

Domestic Box Office: $163 million (
The Proposal) and $218 million (
The Blind Side)

To say Bullock has had a great year would be a grave injustice. This year’s queen of the box office shattered records with the feel-good/football hit
The Blind Side, which became the first female-led film to gross more than $200 million (a feat that has eluded Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, and Reese Witherspoon). More good news may be on the way: Bullock is nominated for two Golden Globes for Best Actress (Comedy for
The Proposal and Drama for
The Blind Side).

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images

Meryl Streep

The Oscar-winning star of classic films such as
The Deer Hunter and
Kramer vs. Kramer had a spectacular 2009, starring in two Golden Globe-nominated films (both for Best Picture—Musical or Comedy) and earning two Best Actress nominations. As for the Academy Awards, the always-elegant actress is considered a frontrunner in the Best Actress race, for her uncanny performance (playing Julia Child) in
Julie & Julia.

Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment

Kathryn Bigelow

Movie:
The Hurt Locker (Director)

Domestic Box Office: $12 million

Scoring Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director with the gritty, Iraq War drama
The Hurt Locker, Bigelow has certainly shed the title of "James Cameron’s ex-wife." And just wait until the Oscars, where Bigelow is the front-runner to win for Best Director (beating out
Avatar). If so, she’ll be the first woman to win that honor.

Walt Disney Studios

Anne Fletcher

Movie:
The Proposal (Director)

Domestic Box Office: $94 million

The director of the first
Step Up and
27 Dresses became one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood when the romantic comedy
The Proposal burned up the box office, grossing nearly $100 million. The film also landed Fletcher, who hails from the world of stage and filmic choreography, a Golden Globe nomination.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Mo’Nique and Gabourey Sidibe

Movie:
Precious

Domestic Box Office: $44 million

As Precious and Mary, respectively, in the film adaptation of Sapphire’s novel
Push, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique push their audiences to their emotional limits. But the film’s executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry aren’t the only ones raving about
Precious, with Sidibe garnering a Best Actress nomination and Mo’Nique earning a Best Supporting Actress nod for this year’s Golden Globes. As for the Oscars, Mo’Nique is considered the front-runner by a mile.

Francois Mori / AP Photo

Abbie Cornish and Jane Campion

Movie:
Bright Star

Domestic Box Office: $4 million

Winner of over 38 awards, including an Oscar for 1993’s
The Piano, Jane Campion turned her directorial gaze to 19th-century poet John Keats’ love affair with Fanny Brawne in
Bright Star. The role was a breakout for Cornish, and steered media attention away from her much-publicized romance with Ryan Philippe. The Aussie actress is currently filming Zack Snyder’s
Sucker Punch alongside Carla Gugino, Vanessa Hudgens, and Emily Browning.

Jennifer Graylock / AP Photo

Kristen Stewart

Movie:
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Domestic Box Office: $290 million

Stewart may not have to worry about writing any awards speeches, but Robert Pattinson’s opposite in the
Twilight series has spawned a cult fascination. Teenage girls either love her melancholic demeanor or hate her for not realizing how lucky she is to be so close to Pattinson. Despite her testy relationship with the press, Stewart has solidified her place in tween-cinema for at least a few more Stephenie Meyer adaptations to come (
Eclipse is already in post-production).

Everett Collection

Nora Ephron

Movie:
Julie & Julia (Writer, Director)

Domestic Box Office: $94 million

Ephron had 20 years of screenwriting experience under her belt before she turned to directing. This year, the thrice-Oscar nominated filmmaker (
Sleepless in Seattle,
When Harry Met Sally, and
Silkwood) scored big with
Julie & Julia, which she wrote, directed, and produced.

Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Studios

Nancy Meyers

Movie:
It’s Complicated (Writer, Director)

Domestic Box Office: $77 million

With
It’s Complicated, Meyers proved that a female-driven romantic comedy aimed at older women could, in fact, be a blockbuster. Her smart, sassy screenplay has earned her a Golden Globe nod, and the film was the second showcase of the year for the inimitable Meryl Streep.

Bennett Raglin / WireImage,Bennett Raglin

Lone Scherfig (Director) and Carrie Mulligan

Movie:
An Education

Domestic Box Office: $8 million

The coming-of-age story of a teenager in 1960s London,
An Education, based on the novel by Nick Hornby, has snagged Mulligan major critical acclaim, not to mention awards buzz. (She’s up for a Best Actress Golden Globe.) Overnight, the Audrey Hepburn-like actress has gone from ingénue to
Wall Street 2, along the way snagging Shia La Beouf as a real-life, romantic co-star.

Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images,Stephen Lovekin

Drew Barrymore

Movie:
Whip It!

Domestic Box Office: $13 million

A former kid star and Hollywood wild child, Drew Barrymore grew up for good in 2009, directing her first feature film,
Whip It!, based on the Shauna Cross novel
Derby Girl. Also starring Marcia Gay Harden and Ellen Page, the film, about an all-female roller derby team, was the most blatant girl-power picture of the year. Barrymore also won great acclaim, and is nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the HBO’s
Grey Gardens, as Little Edie.

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images,Vittorio Zunino Celotto

Helen Mirren

Movie:
The Last Station

Domestic Box Office: Not released (Jan 15, 2010)

Though it has not yet been released,
The Last Station has created enough buzz to earn Helen Mirren a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress and Christopher Plummer a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Mirren stars as Sofya Tolstoy in the story of Leo Tolstoy’s (played by Plummer) fight against materialism in the face of wealth and fame.

Thos Robinson / Getty Images,Thos Robinson

Audrey Tatou

Movie:
Coco Before Chanel

Domestic Box Office: $6 million

The star of Anne Fontaine’s
Coco Before Chanel is probably best known to American audiences as Agent Sophie Neveu in 2006’s
The Da Vinci Code and to foreign-film buffs as the impossibly charming title character in
Amelie. No longer the ingénue, in
Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tatou gave a commanding and compelling performance as one of the most iconic women in the history of fashion.

Brian Zak / Sipa Press / AP Photo,ZAK BRIAN/SIPA

Julianne Moore

Movie:
A Single Man

Domestic Box Office: $2 million

Tom Ford’s debut film has won over critics, and Moore, playing a tart-tongued
femme fatale opposite Colin Firth, is one of three
Single Man cohorts nominated for a Golden Globe. Her nomination for Best Supporting Actress is the latest in an illustrious career that includes four Oscar nominations (
Boogie Nights,
The End of the Affair,
The Hours,
Far From Heaven), nearly 40 other awards, and 50 nominations.

Peter Kramer / AP Photo,Peter Kramer

Emily Blunt

Movie:
Young Victoria

Domestic Box Office:$3 million

Emily Blunt shines in her portrayal of the young monarch, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in her role opposite Rupert Friend. Blunt is no stranger to critical acclaim, as she won a Golden Globe for
Gideon’s Daughter and has been nominated two other times. But perhaps her most memorable performance is her portrayal of Miranda Priestly’s bitchy assistant in
The Devil Wears Prada.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images,Kevin Winter

Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga

Movie:
Up in the Air

Domestic Box Office: $55 million

Don’t be fooled: Jason Reitman’s six-time Golden Globe nominated
Up in the Air is much more than a "Clooney flick."
Twilight star Anna Kendrick and
The Departed’s Vera Farmiga complete the movie, adding a double dose of uptight and wild and free. Both actresses have been nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images,Stephen Lovekin

Talk about women in film! Though Cotillard is the film’s runaway star (she earned a Best Actress nomination while Cruz scored a Best Supporting Actress nomination),
Nine brings many of the industry’s biggest female names together on one screen. And their work paid off: The film has earned five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Musical or Comedy.

Tammie Arroyo / AP Photo,Tammie Arroyo

Zoe Saldana

Movie:
Avatar

Domestic Box Office: $435 million

It’s not easy to portray a 10-foot creature on screen, but Zoe Saldana expertly captured the spirit of the heroic Na’vi Neytiri in
Avatar. Using motion-capture technology to translate her emotions to the screen, Saldana conveyed playfulness as she acquaints Jake (Sam Worthington) to her culture, love as they become romantically entwined, and great loss as Pandora explodes before her.